Israel Falls in Qualifier Final, but Team Plays for Much More

JUPITER, Fla. — Just an inning earlier, Jay Dermer waved the flag of Israel high over his head, holding both ends so that it stretched taut in triumphant fists. Israel had just taken a two-run lead against Spain in a World Baseball Classic qualifying game, and the 1,500 or so Jewish fans at Roger Dean Stadium on Sunday celebrated with equal parts pleasure and pride.

A half inning later, as Dermer marveled at the community of Jews who flocked to this minor league park, he talked about how comfortable it felt to be at a baseball game surrounded by skullcaps, mezuzas and Stars of David.

“You can make a Jewish joke here and get a laugh because people get it,” he said. “You can speak a little Yiddish and have people speak a little Yiddish back.”

Suddenly, Spain pushed across a pair of runs to take a one-run lead in the top of the fourth inning, and Dermer slumped.

“And kvetching, too,” he said, sighing. “There’ll be a lot of kvetching if we lose.”

Israel did lose, 9-7 in 10 innings. Still, there was a celebratory feel about the night.

Flags waved everywhere. A woman wore a Yankees blue T-shirt with the No. 2 that said “Jews For Jeter.” Fans wore the official Team Israel hat with the Star of David on it, as well as other team gear. From the stadium loudspeaker, Jewish music blared — songs like “Ya’alili” by the group 8th Day, and “Mi Shema’amin” by the popular Israeli singer Eyal Golan.

It didn’t go unnoticed to the Israeli team.

“Passion takes over a little more,” said Israel’s manager, Brad Ausmus, a former All-Star catcher. “Passion for the faith, for country, whatever it may be, it takes over.”

Fans fed off the players, and one another.

“We had to come because this is history,” said Dermer, 23, speaking for himself and his 16-year-old brother, Jonah. They trekked 90 minutes from Miami Beach, where Jonah is a corner infielder for his high school team.

Photo

Jewish fans flocked to see Israel, and first baseman Nate Freiman, play Spain.Credit
Alan Diaz/Associated Press

This is the third go-round for the World Baseball Classic, baseball’s answer to soccer’s World Cup. It was the first time, however, that Israel fielded a team, with the hopes that it would not only galvanize Jews, but also expand the sport in Israel, where there is only one field solely for baseball.

By World Baseball Classic rules, a player need not be a citizen to represent a country, but merely eligible to become one. That meant that someone with a Jewish parent or grandparent qualified. Of Israel’s 28-man roster, only three were from Israel. But the lineup was peppered with minor leaguers, as well as former major leaguers like Shawn Green, a former Met.

“The real goal is 25 years from now to have an Israeli team with all native Israelis,” Ausmus said.

Support for Israel grew throughout South Florida on various networks and in synagogues. Roni Raab, who does a weekly hourlong radio show called Shalom South Florida, promoted the game.

“Baseball is more Jewish than all of the major sports, going back to players like Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax,” he said. “But this is more than a baseball game. This is representing Jews across the world. To see the Jewish flag and the Star of David on baseball uniforms, well, it gives me goose bumps.”

Hosting Israel required logistics. Raab helped stadium officials connect with a vendor who serves kosher ballpark fare. In addition to the standard hot dogs and pizza, Alden Mamann of STB Foods also had shawarma and falafel.

“We sold out of the shawarma 45 minutes into the game, about the fourth inning,” he said.

In an impassioned speech before Israel’s first game Wednesday, which has worked its way onto YouTube, the team doctor Glenn Copeland told the players that although he has been in baseball 32 years as the Toronto Blue Jays’ team physician, “it’s as emotional as hell because there’s never been a night in baseball that I’ve been associated with that I’m more excited and more proud to be a part of.”

He compared seeing an all-Jewish team in a world tournament to Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier.

“You’re the best and greatest Jewish baseball team that’s ever played in the world,” he said, “and every Jew is walking a lot prouder.”

And, given the 9-7 extra-inning loss, perhaps kvetching just a bit as well.

A version of this article appears in print on September 24, 2012, on page D6 of the New York edition with the headline: Israel Falls in Qualifier Final, But Team Plays for Much More. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe